How do you arrange your holiday?

I normally inhabit the DCL sections of these boards, but last time we were on the Magic I accidentally went to the DVC presentation on board (ie I was wondering what the blue flashy bracelets they were giving out were and when I got to the door to investigate was give a free drink and ushered to a seat... and being British I was too polite to say no... and anyway the kids were in the Oceaneers Lab). My wife and I were quite interested but it was the wrong time for us. However, now things have changed quite a bit and we were both wondering how you use your points.

I get the mechanics of banking and borrowing and points per night and everything, but what I would like to know is how, being from the UK do most of you do things. Do you stay at the resort for your entire stay there whilst in Florida, or do you spend a couple of nights there and the rest of the time staying somewhere else? Or do different people approach that differently?

I'm just trying to get a better understanding of the structure of holidays using DVC.

I think the trick is buy what you think you'll actually use. We have enough points for 2 weeks every year in a studio at our home resort during our favourite time of year but haven't stuck to that initial thought we had when we bought in. We've stayed a few nights at WDW before going on a cruise, we've spent a fortnight at one resort in WDW, we've used points for DLP and DCL - which some people say is a waste of points but we only used the latter two options when it made sense and meant we wouldn't lose the points altogether.

By banking/borrowing points it can mean you have a shorter or longer stay, or a larger or smaller "villa" on some vacations. We really have found the points system to be both flexible and easy to use.

I get the mechanics of banking and borrowing and points per night and everything, but what I would like to know is how, being from the UK do most of you do things. Do you stay at the resort for your entire stay there whilst in Florida, or do you spend a couple of nights there and the rest of the time staying somewhere else? Or do different people approach that differently?

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We've done it a few ways. We generally do 2 weeks, a week at Disney and a week in a beach house, usually on the Gulf Coast. We have done 1 week + 1 Week, but the one that works for us is 4 Days Disney, Saturday to Saturday in a beach house and then another 4 days at Disney. This means you can mix it up with the resorts and maybe stay somewhere you haven't before. Our home is Poly, so one of the stays will always be there. I think with the Jetlag you need at least 10 days in FLA to make it work.

In Orlando there are enough things to keep everyone engaged for weeks. First time I went to Orlando I did only 5 nights and combinet it with New York. However it ended up not being enough. Now if I go to Orlando that is my vacation. Last time I did 12 nights at DVC (three different resorts) and 2 at Universal. I think it worked well, but I'll probably do 11-3 next time.

I think for Disneyland you need much less time, I now usually go for 3 days and combine it with other places like the national parks, San Francisco and so on. For a first time I suggest 4 days. However DVC in Disneyland has only a very small resort and it's VERY difficult to book there unless you own a contract there.

Are you aware of the resale market? You can save a lot of money, especially if you buy older resorts. Before purchasing it's a good idea to spend some time to learn of the ins and outs of the system on the DVC boards.

In Orlando there are enough things to keep everyone engaged for weeks. First time I went to Orlando I did only 5 nights and combinet it with New York. However it ended up not being enough. Now if I go to Orlando that is my vacation. Last time I did 12 nights at DVC (three different resorts) and 2 at Universal. I think it worked well, but I'll probably do 11-3 next time.

I think for Disneyland you need much less time, I now usually go for 3 days and combine it with other places like the national parks, San Francisco and so on. For a first time I suggest 4 days. However DVC in Disneyland has only a very small resort and it's VERY difficult to book there unless you own a contract there.

Are you aware of the resale market? You can save a lot of money, especially if you buy older resorts. Before purchasing it's a good idea to spend some time to learn of the ins and outs of the system on the DVC boards.

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Hi

Thanks for that!

yes thanks, I'm aware of the resale market, and that may well be the way I get onboard. I'm definitely taking my time, my aim is, if I like everything and can decide on a resort to buy next year (that gives me 12 more months to save and build a better picture, and possibly for the value of £ to recover... although some would say I'm just over cautious)

I think the thing that really makes me unsure is the amount of choice and which resorts. It would be impossible to visit all the DVC resorts before purchasing, and I definitely couldn't spend a holiday visiting even a handful of them (my kids would kill me). At the moment I'm just trying to get a vibe from each resorts, if I like what I see then I'm looking at more details. For example, I really like the feel of Copper Creek and the wilderness feel, but then when I look at the options the studio and 1 bed villa only sleep 4, and as we have 3 kids I wouldn't want to initially purchase enough points for a decent stay in the 2 bed villa. I do like the look of the Polynesian at the moment though.

Being able to sleep 5 in a studio greatly restricts your options. The only studios that sleep 5 are: BCV, BWV, VGF, PVB, BRV.
Of those, the only that can be found on the resale market with great savings is BRV. It costs nearly half than CCV direct, but it also has half the time remaining in the contract, 25 years vs 50 years. That doesn't make things equal (the greater outlay now is not fully compensated by the lenght of the contract), but something to consider.

It also depends A LOT on when you travel. I often visit during slow time for DVC and with my SSR points I've visited a variety of resorts. Peak time for DVC is from late September to marathon week end in january. During those months it's very difficult to book anything at 7 months and especially at any of those resorts that sleep 5 in a studio. If you want to visit during the fall, then you need to own at those resorts. Summer, surprisingly, is not peak time for DVC.
If like me you are flexible with travel dates, it's not impossible to book other resorts.

Also, consider the points charts. I absolutely love the Poly and the studios are huge. The two showers mean that a family of 5 can have an easier time to prepare in the morning. However they also cost a lot of points. A studio in Adventure season costs 16 points at the Poly, a 1 Bedroom at OKW is 21 points, at SSR or AKV standard are just 22. The point difference is small if compared to the extra amount of space and facilities (full kitchen, washer/drier, a door between you and the kids). And 1 bedrooms are much much easier to get at other resorts and more of them can sleep 5. Once you account for the cheaper buy in and MF for SSR points, you probably can break even booking 1bed rather than buying Poly points to book Poly studios consistently.

As to your initial question I bought 160 points resale which gives roughly 10 nights in a 1 bed every other year. I may have to borrow a few points or buy some of the 24 one time use points they let you buy a year at $15 a point, depending on resort points cost per night. I like to go 5 days, go somewhere else for 4 (St Augustine next year) then back to a different resort for 5 nights. I only go every other year as I like to travel around different states on the inbetween years. I figure when the kids grow up, we could rent the points (dead easy, go immediately) or myself and my wife could go every year, maybe not even visiting the parks.
As to your second question, when do you see yourself going? If it's summer or other off DVC peak time (Jan to mid September) then it's very important to think about your room type.
5 in a studio? I wouldn't fancy that for 10 nights. The beauty of the DVC for the larger family is the 1 bed, albeit only a few of them have 5 sleep surfaces so you'd have to bring an air mattress or one of the wishbone camp beds unless in BLT, AKL or OKW which have an additional sleeper. However, a 1 bed would give you twice the space and a full kitchen (Have some meals in and save a lot of money) and full laundry. Night and day to a studio.
But here is the real beauty of the one bed- assuming you go off DVC season, or a chance even at busy season Oct to beginning of Jan, you can get a 1 bed anywhere at 7 months. That includes Grand Floridian, BLT, BWV standard view (most popular) etc. The only views that are difficult are BLT standard (other views wide open) AKL value and AKL concierge. Everything else, everywhere, you can usually get no problem.
So in those circumstances as long as you are happy with the extra dues (well worth it for the extra space) rather than buying one of the newer resorts at top whack, buy Saratoga resale at half the price, and buy twice the points for a 1 bed. Then enjoy staying anywhere, and if you ever go peak time be prepared to stay in Saratoga which is hardly a hardship it is lovely. I paid £10k for mine at the start of the year loaded with previous years' points banked. Great value and it's already worth more than I paid. 3 trips and I'll be in the black and it lasts until 2057.

Wow so for both of you, you spend about 2 weeks in your home resort. Is there enough to keep you (and the kids) engaged?

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We hardly ever stay 2 weeks in our home resort - this past Christmas we spent 2 weeks in a 1 bed villa at OKW instead. Sometimes we split the stay over 2 different resorts for a change of scenery.

With regards to things to do - Orlando and the surrounding area has plenty to offer to fill 2 weeks of vacation time. Take it easy, have a pool day, visit the theme parks (both WDW and USF), visit the water parks, day trip to the beach, Kennedy Space Centre or visit some of the huge malls for some retail therapy. A fortnight can pass in a blink.

We bought 300 BWV points resale & go for two weeks in Sept standard view in a one bed. We love the Boardwalk area and being able to walk to two parks. We hadn't stayed there before we bought, but read reviews, looked at facilities, transport and lots of photo's of the resort & room.
Having the standard view rooms helps make your points go further but they can be difficult to get if it's not your home resort. We also had a list of must haves from our home resort to help us narrow it down. It is difficult to get two weeks at seven months out without wait listing at most resorts as odd nights are gone. So we bought where we wanted to stay.

We bought 300 BWV points resale & go for two weeks in Sept standard view in a one bed. We love the Boardwalk area and being able to walk to two parks. We hadn't stayed there before we bought, but read reviews, looked at facilities, transport and lots of photo's of the resort & room.
Having the standard view rooms helps make your points go further but they can be difficult to get if it's not your home resort. We also had a list of must haves from our home resort to help us narrow it down. It is difficult to get two weeks at seven months out without wait listing at most resorts as odd nights are gone. So we bought where we wanted to stay.

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It isn't Jan to beginning of September. I can always even get BWV standard 1 bed. It is correct to say from mid September onwards though it becomes a lot more difficult.

Yeah I'm not from Wakefield but we share a postcode and a council grrrrr , a sore point with folks around here.
I see quite a few people from around here with DVC. Someone else from Leeds, someone from Ponte etc.
If you have any questions BTW, feel free to contact me.